Second chances
by bvvdvelde
Summary: This story is about what if Lucifer lost Chloe (after season 4). Could he ever love again? Sorry Deckerstar fans. For this story I have killed Chloe because I wanted to develop a character of my own. No worries, I love Deckerstar as much as the rest of you and I hope season 5 will do them justice. I have not written a story like this before and I look forward to any feedback.
1. Fair lady

**Fair lady**

Lucifer felt drained. For the past few hours a video production crew had taken over Lux in preparation of filming Jake Bond's latest music video.

He had agreed to this months ago, before…

Now all he wanted was to drown his sorrow. Lucifer wasn't ready to admit it, but he no longer felt at home here, in Lux, LA, Earth, Hell, anywhere.

Chloe was dead and he had not been there to save her. He had hated going back to Hell, but there had been no choice in the matter. In Hell the demons recognised their ruler, but his long absence meant that leaving again had not been easy and even with extra security in place it was only a matter of time before he would have to go back again.

It no longer mattered. Being on Earth felt meaningless without Chloe.

He had longed for her every moment he was away. He did not need a specific room in hell for his own personal torment. This time, not being with her made ruling hell more hellish than whatever hell did to its prisoners. The only reason he could bear it was knowing he protected Chloe by keeping the demons in check. And the knowledge she loved him back kept his heart from going too dark. Her love was his beacon.

When he was finally able to leave hell without risking an immediate demon riot, he found only pain and grief. Chloe had been killed by an indifferent gangbanger, who had not cared how many victims he made before he would be dragged down to hell. In human terms he had been away for a year. Had he been able to leave hell earlier he might have been able to protect her. He would rather have died trying than face Trixie's grief and Dan's anger and pain.

Their disappointment about his absence hurt him more than he cared to admit. The little urchin deserved a mother and Dan had been through enough with Charlotte. He couldn't even explain where he had been. Who would believe him? He had not realised how precious those moments had been, when he could share with Chloe what his existence was really like.

Now he stuck to whisky, sex and blues. Nothing made him feel better.

Lucifer resented his father more than ever. First Dad put Chloe in his path only to kill her off? Why? And what about Trixie and everyone else who loved Chloe? Trixie deserved a mum and Chloe had deserved a long and happy life. The Silver City should have waited a long time for her. Instead her time had been cut short. Their time had been cut short.

Six months had passed since Chloe's death. Lucifer hadn't spoken to anyone lately, not even Maze, who first had been pissed off because he had gone back to Hell without even talking to her, was now pissed off for him not saving Chloe. Welcome to the club, he thought as he downed another slug of whisky. Lucifer didn't think Maze had really wanted to go back to Hell anymore, but it was the principle that counted and boy did that count for Maze. Worse than that was the fallout from Chloe's death. Maze and Chloe had been friends and Maze's soft spot for the detective's offspring meant she did not want anything to do with Lucifer. They had grown somewhat apart anyway. Maze didn't need him anymore. Lucifer tried not to care, but humanity had had an effect on both of them.

Lucifer had avoided Linda. He did not need a therapist to know he had failed everybody. He wasn't sure about the relationship status of Linda and Amenadiel, but they were raising baby Charlie together and the last thing he needed was his brother commenting on his failure. He kind of missed Amenadiel, but who needed a brother when that brother had not even paid him a visit in Hell to give him the bad news.

Instead he had survived, leaving Lux and the penthouse only for brief visits to Hell to keep his kingdom in check. He did not feel like going anywhere where the sun might shine. At least in Lux he could pretend he was okay.

xxxx

The film crew was nearly ready to shoot. A group of dancers was stretching and giggling as they looked his way. He was sure a few of them would entertain him tonight.

Jake Bond walked in with his entourage. Behind him an exquisite blond carrying a large sports bag. She was tall and lean, a little skinny for Lucifer's liking, but hard to miss. She made no attempt at drawing attention to herself, yet as she checked out the dance floor, the dancers all moved to give her space. She had natural authority. Lucifer thought she might be Jake's PA and personal plaything, but Jake listened as she spoke to the crew in a way that made Lucifer rethink that. There was no way those two were lovers. She deliberately kept some distance and had an overly professional attitude. Jake on the other hand was clearly smitten.

Lucifer had planned to go upstairs and let his bar manager deal with the video take-over, but this blond was a half decent distraction from his misery. Jake Bond was one of the biggest pop stars in the world. He was good looking and talented. Lucifer approved of his music. He could have any woman he liked, nearly anyway, by the looks of it. This blond girl simply ignored his adoring looks and continued with her job. Was she gay or blind?

She walked around the piano and put a foot on the bench, as if testing something. She looked around, spotted Lucifer at the bar and came over.

'Well hello there, what can I do for you? Lucifer Morningstar at your service.'

'Sem Johnsson, nice to meet you. Your piano, I presume?'

'Yes, would you like to play, something for four hands perhaps?'

Sem smiled at him and raised an eyebrow. Ignoring Lucifer's four-handed remark she said:

'Morningstar…interesting name. Jake said this club belongs to the Devil. Very LA. I imagine it is actually quite good PR. Anyway, what I wanted to ask was if it is okay for us to use the piano as a prop? I would like to dance on it if you don't mind.'

Lucifer did mind. Pianos were for making music...and having sex. Dancing would probably do no harm. Okay then. She was still smiling at him. It was nice to see she wasn't immune to his charm. Part of him almost wished she was. It would have been a great chase getting her into bed. Not gay or blind then.

'Sure, go ahead. Maybe we can play something together later'.

'Thank you', she smiled and again left his remark hanging between them.

Before she turned around her expression changed slightly. She was still smiling but her eyes were darker now. A dark grey with a hint of sadness. She had lost somebody. Lucifer didn't know where that thought came from, but he was certain. There was something sad about her.

Sem took several wigs and pieces of clothing out of the bag and walked to the changing area the floor manager had pointed her too. She came out looking completely different. She had changed into a sexy costume and was wearing a small mask and a wig with straight copper hair. Suddenly Lucifer knew exactly who she was. She was the Mystery Girl. Jake had started working with a masked dancer a few years ago. She wore different hair colours and styles, different eye colours and crazy costumes in every video, but never showed her whole face. Fans without much imagination had started calling her Mystery Girl and it stuck. It had significantly boosted Jake's career. People listened to his music, but also watched every video to satisfy their curiosity; what would she look like this time. She was an extraordinary dancer, very strong and very graceful and capable of dancing in many different styles. Jake and Sem clearly had a great partnership.

Jake and Sem did a few practice takes with the other dancers. Lucifer watched mesmerised.

On the dance floor Jake and Sem's relationship was something else. Their charisma was off the chart. They flirted, they touched, they grinded. The sexual tension was palpable. The piano got used for some very hot dancing too.

The video shoot was in full swing now and Lucifer couldn't take his eyes off the couple who on camera looked like passionate lovers and off-camera were like boring colleagues. How intriguing. But why only pretend sex, when the real thing was so much better? What was their problem? Or better, her problem. Jake clearly needed a cold shower after all that 'dancing'.

In between takes a few of the dancers came to chat and flirt, with Lucifer.

Sem didn't. Lucifer could feel her eyes on him, though. The girls and guys were charming, but Lucifer knew he needed something stronger for proper pain relief. He had tried hard enough, but Chloe's memory was everywhere. She had touched every part of his life, nearly anyway, and life without her simply felt empty. Like the bottle of Scotch in front of him.

The blond was barely a distraction either, but at least Sem was unpredictable. She was attracted to him like the other dancers, obviously, but steered clear of overtly flirting. She quietly watched as a small posse of admiring dancers gathered around him. He was used to attention like this and he handled it with his usual charm.

He invited crew and dancers for the party at Lux that night, knowing that would provide him with the opportunity to fulfil his carnal desire. Easy pickings of some very fine bodies.

Sem politely declined. Instead she helped the crew pack up and stayed until Lux looked like its normal self again. She clearly wasn't much of a diva. Jake and most of the others were long gone. Did she stay behind deliberately? He certainly hoped so if she wasn't coming to the party.

Sem wiped some last chalk off the top of the piano. Why was she still here? She knew she was stalling. Mr. Morningstar was trouble. He would try to get her into bed and she was tempted. Part of her didn't care. She just wasn't ready to go home yet. There wasn't much to go home to. Today had been a great distraction, but even the making of a steamy video could not really make her feel better.

She touched a few keys on the piano. She was familiar with the comfort the keys had to offer. She sat down, put her hands on the piano, took a deep breath and played Beethoven's Mondschein sonata. She felt the hot tears flow down her cheeks while she played. It would not make her feel better, but at least she could feel something other than sheer emptiness. She played and wept. The music held a truth she could not express otherwise.

As the last note faded, Lucifer appeared by her side, offering a handkerchief.

'I can't play much else at the moment. My mind won't let me. I'm sorry. This isn't exactly appropriate music for a night club.'

'It's fine. It is one of my favourite pieces. You can put your all into those deep notes. Are you alright? I don't often have visitors performing sexy dances, followed by some dramatic Beethoven.'

'Definitely not alright, but there isn't much anybody can do, so I pretend. Specially to Jake. He means well, but he has no clue how to engage with me now.' Sem wasn't sure why she was saying all this. Opening up to total strangers wasn't exactly her thing. She didn't even open up to the people closest to her. Lucifer and that beautiful piano had an effect on her. She felt strangely at home.

'So, you liked the dancing? We do try to put on a good show. Do you think people will like me as a redhead? I have not used that wig before.' She was done talking about her feelings.

'They will love it. Personally, I prefer this'. Lucifer tucked a loose blond curl behind her ear.

Sem took a deep breath and pretended he had no effect on her.

'I had better go. You probably have some stuff to do before the party starts.'

'We could have dinner. The party is a few hours away and I haven't seen you eat anything today. I can order some Vietnamese if you like.'

Lucifer was not making it easy for her to walk away. This should have been her cue to leave, but instead she replied:

'I suppose I should eat. I like Vietnamese'.

'Follow me', Lucifer said as he guided her towards the lift. He dialled the takeaway and ordered some of his favourites while looking at Sem to make sure she agreed with his choices. When the lift doors opened and they stepped into the penthouse, Sem nearly gasped. That wasn't too shabby. She admired the library, another beautiful grand piano and the views. Wow.

'Would you like a drink?' Lucifer offered as he poured himself a glass.

For a moment Sem felt nervous and hoped she had not got herself in some serious trouble with this handsome stranger.

'Just some water, please'. She looked at the bar with its impressive array of whiskies and she wondered if he could even find his way to the kitchen tap. There were some empty glasses sat on the piano. Sem was surprised he did not seem drunk at all. She walked to the balcony and breathed in the LA evening. Lucifer joined her and handed her a glass of water.

For a while they didn't speak. They stood there, side by side, taking in the views. Sem started to relax despite him being so close. Just when their silence might have become awkward the food arrived.

Over dinner they talked mostly about music and her experience working with Jake. Sem was impressed with Lucifer's knowledge of music and she found him surprisingly easy to talk to.

Occasionally he made no sense, speaking of Heaven and Hell as if they were real, but he didn't ask intrusive questions about her crying and kept nice light conversation going in his nice British accent. Okay, hot British accent. He looked at her sincerely and inquisitively but didn't pry. It wasn't as if he didn't want to know what was going on with her. Considering he obviously wanted to sleep with her, he showed surprising interest in her as a person, and not just her ass and boobs. Refreshing. Lucifer clearly had plans to give the dancers his full attention later at the party and Sem kept thinking to herself; what am I doing here? I should not like this guy. But she did like Lucifer. He had a wicked sense of humor. It wasn't easy to make her laugh these days. She felt at ease with him, even after that embarrassingly vulnerable moment at the piano. She looked at him as he appreciated the jazz music he had put on in the background. His enjoyment seemed superficial. His eyes were dark. Impenetrable one moment, vulnerable the next. Hidden depths. She wasn't the only one with emotional baggage.

Lucifer was enjoying himself. He should go downstairs soon. Sem had made it very clear she wasn't coming, though. He wasn't ready to let her go. She had played the piano with her whole heart. She had played how he felt. No wonder he liked her. But then she had gone back to pretending. Pretending things were normal. Same as he did. Pretending to be okay was like lying. She provided him with a mirror. One he wasn't ready for. Life had not felt this real in ages.

'Don't you need to get downstairs to Lux?'

'Will you join me?' His eyes twinkled. The message was loud and clear.

She didn't bite. Sem smiled at him and said: 'Maybe next time, Lucifer'.

'You are always welcome at Lux.' and more softly he added 'I would like you to come'.

'I enjoyed dinner and I would like to hear you play on the piano sometimes. Someone today mentioned you sing too. Now go to your party, before they miss their host.'

They went downstairs together, where the first party guests were arriving. Sem was tempted to hug him. She hesitated. She let her fingers gently touch his hand. They both sighed as she let go. This was new. She had made him feel for a while. Feel good even. She seemed a little happier too.

'Bye Lucifer. See you around.'

'Goodnight, my fair lady.'

She walked away but couldn't help glancing over her shoulder. Lucifer's gaze followed her until she turned the corner. Then she was gone.

5


	2. Friends with the Devil

**Friends with the Devil**

Sem didn't sleep well. She felt guilty for momentarily forgetting about Jarod and their baby. Lucifer had been a great distraction. She had had a relaxing evening after the rush of the day and the emotional moment at the piano. She had let her guard down. She could not remember the last time she had done that. She was still so angry and overcome with grief. She focussed on her breathing to prevent hyperventilating and her thoughts went back to the previous day.

Lucifer confused her. She felt at ease with him, but they were obviously completely incompatible. Hanging out with a nightclub owner, so not her style. And the Devil talk, he was clearly crazy of some sort. And what was it with those groupies? The dance crew had almost lined up in a queue to have sex with him. Extreme good looks or not, nobody had that kind of sex appeal. She had been tempted too, he was damn sexy, but the idea of that line up put her off. Crazy, sexy, but also surprisingly kind and fun to be around. Strange combo. For a moment she decided to not go back to Lux, but she immediately changed her mind again. Lucifer might not have talked her into bed just yet, but the thought of not seeing him again felt like a loss, as if they had been friends for years.

The party at Lux was a big success. The dancers had added a lot of extra energy to the place and the next day Lucifer could not remember how many people he had had sex with. He woke up with a pretty black girl next to him and an equally pretty blond guy on the other side.

The start of a good day, normally, but normal had been way out of reach since…

Since Chloe. She was always on his mind. An ache constantly burning a hole through his heart. Booze and sexy company only ever provided temporary relief.

He got out of bed and poured himself a drink. He thought of dinner last night. Sem had surprised him, saying no to sex and yes to…, well, yes to what? His company? He had made a good effort to be lousy company lately, but not with her. She had a grounded beauty, a don't mess with me attitude and she had cried. It didn't make sense. She didn't make sense. Over dinner they had laughed and shared stories about music. Jake clearly only saw one side of her. Mr. Jake Bond may be a musical genius, but when it came to his muse, he did not realise she was so much more than a pretty dancer with good taste in music. Great musical instincts aside, she was very smart, appreciated his particular brand of sarcasm and she had worked hard to achieve her goals. Lucifer was surprised to learn she had only started dancing a few years ago. When he asked how she had become so good, Sem simply said she had always been active and she had trained hard once she had fallen in love with music and dance. Lucifer was sure there was more to it than that. The Devil is in the details, so they say. Maybe Sem hid a few devilish details. Despite their relaxed conversation she had not been very forthcoming. How was it possible that he had let her go without getting her into bed, Hell, without even getting her number? He must have lost his touch.

After his overnight guests had left the penthouse he went for a drive to clear his head.

Somehow, he found himself on Linda's doorstep. Lucifer hesitated. He wasn't ready for therapy. He could never…

'Lucifer?' Linda walked up to the corvette. She had just picked up lunch from the deli when she spotted the car.

'What are you doing here? I mean, good to see you.' Then, in a softer tone: 'I have been worried about you.'

'Linda, I didn't see you there. I was...just driving around.' A lie would have been easier, he thought as he sighed.

'Ok, Lucifer, come. I have a client in half an hour, but there is no way you just drove out here for nothing.'

Slightly unsure he got out of the car. Linda looked at him.

'I am not ready to talk, Linda. There is nothing to say. Talking won't bring her back. Nothing can. I will never see her again.' He reached for the car door.

'You did come here, Lucifer. Think about it. Maybe your subconscious knows more than you do. If nothing else, I would love to hear how you are. Please?'

For a moment Lucifer stared at the keys in his hand. 'Why not.'

It felt familiar and new at the same time to sit on that sofa again. He stroked the soft cushions as Linda poked at her salad.

'So, what's up? What really made you come today? She was as direct as always.

'I am not sure.' He said as his thoughts wandered. A certain blond came to mind. Sem. Why would he think of her? He said: 'I have not been out much lately. The party is always at Lux anyway. No need to go anywhere'. He tried to sound upbeat.

'So, you have been hiding.'

'Well, no. I just prefer to stay at Lux now.'

The sun shining on LA felt wrong without it shining on Chloe too.

'Why have you not visited the precinct, Lucifer? I spoke to Dan a while ago. Everybody knows you're back in LA.'

'Visit the precinct? To do what? Be reminded of the fun times we had?' His voice was full of angry sarcasm.

'Lucifer, as hard as it is when someone dies, people often find comfort in sharing their grief. In sharing memories and stories. You have been missed'.

'I couldn't be there. Chloe should never have gone like that. She was taken from me. I can never see her again'. His tone softened as added: 'Damn the Silver City'.

Linda knew she could not push too much, but she did have one question she already knew the answer of: 'Have you spoken to Amenadiel?'

'I know you are quite partial to my angelic brother, but he didn't bother to come down to hell to tell me Chloe had died. For a messenger from God he is pretty useless.' Sarcasm was never far away with Lucifer.

Although they had barely talked, time was up. Linda tentatively asked if Lucifer wanted an appointment for next time, maybe to explore how he could move forward again.

'Lux will do for now', was all he said before he closed the door of Linda's office. He took a long detour along the coast in the corvette before heading back to Lux. Whilst driving he could almost smell Chloe's hair and he vividly remembered their drives towards murder scenes. Happy days.

Sem had no real reason to go back to Lux, but it had been very nice to talk to Lucifer about her secret dance identity and her collaborations with Jake. Her dinner with Lucifer had highlighted to her that she did not consider Jake as close friend as she had thought. They had a highly effective and enjoyable working relationship, but beyond the music or choreographies they worked on, they didn't share much.

Sem felt much more open and at ease with Lucifer. She smiled. It made a weird kind of sense that she would open up to someone like him. Not that she had told him much about herself, but she had talked freely about her gig as the Mystery Girl for the first time. Very few people knew this about her. She had managed to stay out of the tabloids so far and she was keen to keep it that way. Her life was organised in a few clear compartments. They didn't mix. Being tight lipped was second nature to her. She had a few friends, but each only knew one side of her. Dinner with the Devil had made her realise that when your life looks like a kaleidoscope image, the fragments add up to a pretty lonely existence. Sem was not sure if she had chosen this life or if it had chosen her.

The video was released and Jake's people had asked Lucifer to host a party for a select group of music industry professionals to promote it. He wasn't overly keen to host the party as his general mood was still one of gloom and resentment, but he could not pass up a chance to see Sem again. She had not been back to Lux. There was no guarantee she would show up; she was clearly not a party girl, but Jake would pressure her to come. Lucifer had not worked out yet how the relationship between those two worked exactly, but he imagined Jake as a nagging child. Question was; would Sem oblige as a professional courtesy, were they good enough friends for Sem to humour him, or would she decline. Maybe, and the thought put a smile on Lucifer's face, she might come to see him. He went downstairs to make sure everything and everyone at Lux was ready.

Jake had indeed nagged Sem to come, as Mystery Girl, for publicity. No way she would do that. The risk of being unmasked was far too big. She left it at that with Jake. Their prep work for Jake's next release would have to wait until another day. Jake was pretty annoyed and Sem was frustrated that Jake could still not appreciate that she did not want fame.

She was a well-known presence in her neighbourhood. Working at the local youth centre she engaged with many of the locals. She loved playing a real part in people's lives. As much as she enjoyed working with Jake, he was not a part of the real world. He had been famous from a young age and had probably never even seen the inside of a grocery store. Let alone seen the grittier streets of LA. Jake was used to getting his way.

Surprisingly, Sem not putting up with his bullshit and spoiled brat behaviour had been the start of their friendship. So here she was, part of two worlds, but not fully at home in either.

On the night of the party Sem was still undecided about coming. She had had a long enough day already. She opened her closet and stared at her clothes. Most were jeans or sportswear. She grabbed one of the two dresses she owned. A little black dress. In costume for the videos she felt fully dressed in the sexiest of outfits. Putting on her little black dress as herself she felt exposed and almost naked. She looked in the mirror. No one would recognise her like this. She would just be an anonymous groupie. She put a pretty comb in her hair to tame her blond curls to one side, added some make-up and put on her heels, then called a cab. Decision made.

Outside of Lux people were queuing. Sem paid the driver but was reluctant to leave the car. What had gotten into her. This was madness. There were screaming girls hoping to catch a glimpse of Jake. As she stepped out onto the pavement she realised that people in the queue were holding tickets. Shit. She should have asked Jake for one or arranged something to get in, but then it would have been impossible to back out and Jake would have made a big fuss.

Sem wasn't here for Jake. She knew she was here for Lucifer. Foolish girl, she thought to herself.

She stood to the side of the crowd, wondering what to do next, when a familiar figure strolled towards her.

'That's a nice surprise. You look ravishing. You're not on the guest list, though. I should know. I checked.' Sem couldn't help but smile at Lucifer.

'Come on, I will put in a good word with the owner. I am sure he will let you in if you ask nicely.'

'Thank you, Sir. The owner, isn't he far too busy to be working the door?'

'I like to see to it personally that all the important people get in.'

'Define important. Look at all those groupies. Easy entertainment for you, I suppose. You are a charmer after all.' Sem knew it was a cheap shot, but she really didn't know what to make of Lucifer's lifestyle.

'Who, me? I take pride in pleasing my guests. That's all. Now, shall we go inside, please. Let's get this party started.

Jake wasn't there yet. He was going to make his grand entrance around midnight. Sem always tried to stay as anonymous as possible, but the flipside was that she didn't really know anyone at the party.

Sem's unease did not go unnoticed. Lucifer stayed close by and had his bartender make her a virgin mojito. He figured she wasn't going to budge on the alcohol. Sem looked at the drink suspiciously before taking a sip.

'Thank you. I must admit, you are pretty good at the 'pleasing your guests' thing.' Sem smiled and started to relax a little.

Lucifer offered Sem a seat at in his favourite booth. She sat down and watched as party goers flirted with him. Some asked for favours, some were trying to get late night invitations. Sem might have been annoyed, but she wasn't. Lucifer didn't ignore her. Not for a second. Instead they chatted between the flirtations and the favours. Lucifer made it into a game, giving attention to each person who came up to him, without ever leaving their conversation. For the first time in ages Sem heard herself laugh out loud.

'Come on, let's dance!' Sem got up and pulled Lucifer towards the dance floor. She felt alive, real and in the moment and she was going to enjoy that moment for as long as she could make it last.

Although taken by surprise, Lucifer felt Sem's energy and gladly joined her on the dance floor. Neither noticed when Jake came in. They were the last to clear the floor for the guest of honour. When Jake realised that the woman dancing with Lucifer was Sem, his jaw dropped. He had never seen her like that. Relaxed, laughing, happy and more beautiful than ever. Sem had always been a tad serious for Jake's liking, but Jarod's death and the stillbirth of her child had changed Sem to the point where Jake had thought they would not be able to work together anymore. Instead Sem had poured every devastating emotion into music and dance, giving Jake a whole new viewpoint to take inspiration from. As heartbreaking as it was, Sem's pain had found an outlet and had led directly to the biggest chart hits of his career.

Sem nodded to Jake when their eyes met, silently telling him to not pull her into the spotlight. Jake felt a streak of jealousy. Why would Sem spend time with a womaniser like Mr. Morningstar? He didn't get it, but to see her smiling meant that they might be making happier music again soon. He turned to his adoring fans and disappeared in the crowd.

After Jake's grand entrance, Sem returned to the dance floor. She was feeling wonderfully relaxed. Too relaxed, she realised. Normally the memories from people around her would come flooding in if she didn't block them out, but nothing was happening. She had the strange gift to see the memories of people around her. An invasion of other people's memories could be hard to deal with, so most of the time she made sure nothing came in. Was she still blocking? It was second nature to her to block out other people's memories. As a child her gift had caused plenty of trouble. Unwittingly sharing secrets. Feeling overwhelmed in any crowded environment. She did not even remember from what age she had fully mastered blocking, but without it she would have lost her mind a long time ago. Nowadays she only used her gift if she thought knowing someone better might allow her to help them. The teenagers at the youth centre were not prone to oversharing, so sometimes she would pry. She helped a girl get out of an abusive relationship and helped a few other teens with their issues. As naturally as it came to Sem to see their memories, it felt intrusive and she did not want to make a habit of it. She didn't want anyone knowing everything about her. She had never met anyone who had the same talent and she hoped she never would.

Sem breathed slowly, focussed on a group of girls on the dance floor. She tried to read them. Nothing. In a way she was blind here. Something about Lux blocked her gift. She smiled. She had found herself a place where she could fully relax. Another reason to come back, she thought, while searching for Lucifer in the crowd.

Sem didn't leave until the early hours of the morning. Lucifer was a great party host. They had danced and talked the night away. His charm was hard to resist, but Sem had insisted on going home, alone. A few times they had looked each other in the eyes, but any hint of intimacy reminded her of Jarod and she had looked away. Lucifer could make her laugh. He could not heal her broken heart.

Lucifer was surprised at how much he had enjoyed the party. Had enjoyed Sem's company. Dancing, sharing stories about awkward positions, hers on the dance floor, his in the bedroom.

It suddenly hit him that Chloe would have liked her. Lucifer wasn't used to rejection, but Sem going home seemed right. Not that he liked it, but in some ways Sem reminded him of the detective and he tried to steer clear of any emotions to do with her. He did not need to be reminded that he had failed her. Keeping things simple with Sem meant he could enjoy some parts of life again and ignore his guilt and pain for a while.

He still didn't have her number, but he was confident now that she would return to Lux. He wasn't sure what they shared, but there was a connection.

Lucifer did not have to wait long for Sem's return. She visited Lux a few days later. Dressed more casually in black jeans and a green off the shoulder top, she still turned plenty of heads as she entered the club. Lucifer was playing the piano and singing. He hadn't noticed her come in. She watched him play and listened. As he finished the song he looked up and saw her smile at him.

'Ah, you're back. I didn't realise you were listening'.

'I find this place oddly relaxing. By the way, you really do know how to sing. That was great. I thought people might be exaggerating, but it is true. The Devil can sing. I would like to dance to your music sometime, if you don't mind.'

'Well, thank you. You can dance to my tune any time'.

Sem laughed. She enjoyed his overt flirtatiousness.

They sat down at the bar.

'Why are you here? I didn't think you were the partying kind.'

'True, but I really do find this place relaxing and I wanted to hear you sing. Find out what the fuss is about. That song you played, it has meaning to you, doesn't it? Who is she?' Sem could be blunt and to the point, but she didn't usually get so personal so quickly.

Sem had caught him off guard. His eyes turned dark, his nostrils flared and he wanted to say something mean to get her off his back, but the words wouldn't come out. No lies.

'Her name was Chloe Decker. She... meant the world to me. She is gone now. I wasn't there for her.' He stared deep into his whisky glass while grasping for the bottle. Sem handed it to him.

'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have …'.

She took a deep breath. 'I lost the only person I ever loved… and then I lost his baby, when I was seven months pregnant. She said it matter of factly, but her hands were shaking. 'Our son would have been a year old now. Jarod was a photographer. I met him on a video shoot in Egypt. We were staying in the same hotel. We were shooting pretty pictures, while he had just returned from shooting some harsh truths in a warzone. We clicked and for the first time I felt like someone got me. We never lived together. We never made it that far. Our passions connected us, but also kept us apart most of the time. His travel buddy told me he carried a ring in his pocket when he died. They didn't find the ring or much else of him. The building he was in was bombed. Deliberately. They knew there were people there. I know Jarod chose how to live his life, but his death feels so meaningless. The fighting hasn't stopped and no one is looking at the photos he took. A few weeks after his death I found out I was pregnant. I was nowhere near ready to become a mother, but oh irony, I loved that baby growing inside me with my whole heart and would protect him with my life. Except I couldn't. I lost him too. His name was Adam. Can you pour me a whisky too, please?

Music helps a little. Keeps me from going over the edge. Jake may have his limitations, but he showed me, allowed me, to express my darkest feelings in music and dance. I don't think I would be here today otherwise.' Sem didn't dare look at Lucifer. She knew she could cry at any moment and she really wanted to keep it together.

Lucifer poured and gently put the glass in Sem's hand. 'Why are you telling me all this?'

'I don't have anyone else to tell my story to. No one who truly understands anyway.' She took a big gulp of whisky and felt it burn in her throat. Then she finally looked at Lucifer.

'At least it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have saved them.'

'Couldn't I, Lucifer? What do you know? I encouraged Jarod to follow the news, to follow his dream of winning a Pulitzer. If I had asked him to stay with me, he would have. He wanted to live together. I was the one who wasn't ready. I pushed him away. And our baby… I was told many times by the doctor to rest more, take it easy. I cannot know what caused Adam's stillbirth, but I sure as Hell didn't help.'

'I am sure you did the best you could. I watched some of your music videos with Jake. I wasn't sure how real they were; the one showing you pregnant and the one after that, where you look … awful. I guess you really did pour your heart into the music.'

'Like you did just now, singing by the piano?'

'Is that what you think?

'Yes, that is exactly what I think. I know nothing about Chloe, but she must have been pretty special to make you sing like that.'

'She was special.'

They sat at the bar staring at their glasses for a while. Sem finished her drink. She wrote down her number on a napkin and handed it to Lucifer.

'Maybe next time we can chat about the lighter things in life, or I can dance to your music and you can tell me about her.'

Lucifer didn't want Sem to go but didn't know what to say. Sem put her hand on his and said: 'I never told anyone my story before. I am glad I have. Thank you'. She let go, softly smiled at him and got up. Lucifer grabbed her by the wrist: 'You can't fix me'.

'I know. You're not broken.' She looked at him intensely. He let go of her wrist and she walked out.

He felt broken. Lucifer had tried hard to avoid feeling anything. He drank some more. He wished it actually had an effect on him. That bloody woman had some talent to remind him of his pain. He shouldn't have mentioned Chloe. It was none of Sem's business. He turned his focus to a few other guests at Lux. Sex always made him feel better.

Sem leaned against the wall outside Lux. She allowed the tears to come. What on earth had possessed her to speak so freely to Lucifer? Why did she find him so easy to talk to? She had opened up to the Devil as if he was her priest. What a preposterous idea. Especially as she didn't know any priests. She was an atheist. Sem was sure Lucifer would see the irony in that. He took the Devil stuff very seriously. Must have been some very big trauma to make him identify as the creature synonymous with evil. From what she had seen he was somewhat self-absorbed and extraordinarily hedonistic, but she felt sure she would have picked up on something if he was truly the Devil, evil incarnate. He wasn't even much of a narcissist. He had clearly cared deeply about Chloe and she was sure his interest in herself was not feigned.

Lucifer felt more real and honest than anyone she had ever met. The most devilish thing about him was his wicked sense of humor. Maybe losing Chloe had made him feel so guilty that he felt like he was the Devil. Maybe one day he would tell her what happened. Sem felt lighter from telling him about Jarod and baby Adam. Like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Jake knew what had happened to her, but she couldn't talk about it with him. Making music together helped, but speaking the words to Lucifer tonight was cathartic on a different level. Like he truly understood how she felt. He hadn't said as much, but his music told her story. He understood.

She wiped the tears off her face. Time to go home.

A few people passed her to enter Lux. She focussed to block out their memories. Unnecessary.

Her gift was still blocked. How strange. She had thought that it had something to do with the materials in the building; lead or something similar, but no, that couldn't be it. She was too tired to explore what was happening here. She would have to come back another day. She thought of Lucifer and smiled. Something to look forward too.

Lucifer picked up the napkin left by his housekeeper who took care of his dry cleaning.

Sem's number. It had been two weeks since she had walked out of Lux. He was not used to people opening up to him the way she had. Her vulnerability had made him quite uncomfortable. He rewatched a few of the Jake Bond music videos. All videos showed the Mystery Girl as a strong woman, including the one she and Jake had made when she was pregnant. They showed a lot of Sem's character. The only video not showing her as master of her own universe was the 'What am I to lose' video, shot shortly after she lost her baby. It showed rage and despair and a truly unhinged Mystery Girl. Lucifer looked at the comments section. Viewers had picked up on how real this looked and questioned her physical and mental health. Some even accused Jake of abusing her. Lucifer realised that in that video Sem was stronger than in any of the others. It took guts to publish your deepest despair as a music video.

He looked at the number in his hand. She might like the disco throw-back party planned for the weekend. He was almost surprised when she immediately picked up. He avoided any awkward conversation by immediately inviting her. Her answer was short. She sounded like she was in a hurry, but she said she would come. Lucifer shrugged off the school boy excitement and went to work to cash in some favours to make it a party to remember.

Sem walked into Lux around 4 pm on the day of the party. Lucifer wasn't there. She sat down at the piano and closed her eyes. She had worked on a song with Jake earlier in the day, but they couldn't get it to flow. Her fingers caressed the piano keys. She tried a few notes of the song and suddenly she knew how the chorus should sound.

'Do you have anything I can write with?' she asked the bar manager. With an old invoice and a pencil, she started playing and writing down the notes and the words. Sem and Jake often wrote music together. Sem hadn't written solo before. Lucifer's piano had a beautiful sound. She played the song a few times until she was happy with each note. She was a rubbish singer, so she had to imagine how the melody would sound in Jake's voice.

Lucifer unexpectedly heard music when he arrived at Lux. Who was playing?

He stopped by the staircase. Sem had not noticed him coming in. He stood and listened for a while. Her skills on the piano were only average, but he liked the tune she was playing.

He walked over to the piano. 'Hi, not bad. Need a singer?

Sem smiled in surprise. 'Would you? I can't sing. It would encourage murder if I tried. Not sure this is in the right key for you, but we can try. Would you like to play too? You are a much better pianist than I am.

'Move over.' He nearly bumped her off the piano bench. He looked at what Sem had scribbled.

'Could you have written that any smaller? You and Jake, you are also a writing team? Do you keep everything you do a secret? Out of some principle? Fans will go crazy about this sort of stuff.'

'Crazy, yeah. You see why I might have a problem with that? I am not too fond of that kind of crazy. Jake has been famous for most of his life and I can't say it is making him happy. Rich, yes, happy, no. He can have the limelight all to himself. I am more of a shadowy figure, lurking in the background'. Sem did her best scary imitation.

Lucifer replied by playing a few bars from the Addams Family. They both laughed. A big belly shaking laugh that lasted quite a while. Neither one of them had laughed like that for ages.

Lucifer played and sang the song Sem and Jake had written. Sem felt almost sad she had written the new chorus for Jake. Lucifer had music in his bones. She would find it hard now to give it back to Jake.

'I came early, because I can't come to the party tonight and I wanted to tell you in person, so you wouldn't think I didn't want to come. I have been asked to chaperone an event at the youth club where I volunteer. They are short of people. I couldn't refuse. They will have some kind of rap contest. These kids don't mince their words, so things could easily get ugly. I hope you don't mind.

'We could always have sex now', Lucifer said without even blinking.

Sem looked at Lucifer. 'You are serious. Wow! You don't mince your words either.'

'We could have some great naked fun.'

'I realise that you are used to people queuing up to have sex with you, but just so you know, the friends with benefits thing isn't for me and you are clearly so in love with yourself that there is no room for anyone else.'

'Ouch. You are fierce. If you're not interested in the benefits, does that mean we are friends then?' Sem noticed how his expression had gone from confident and alluring to slightly vulnerable.

'I think we are friends. Don't you?' Sem had not realised how badly she wanted his friendship, but now that the words were out she also knew that she was attracted to him, just not to the overly confident, cocky side of him.

'Yes, I think we are.' Lucifer smiled. 'More music?'

'Sure. What have you got?'

Lucifer played and sang and Sem mostly listened. She joined in on a few songs, playing simple chords on a jazzy tune while Lucifer improvised. His playing was relaxed and easy. Enough to make Sem jealous. She had only taken up piano at the dance academy, where learning an instrument was required. She didn't come close to Lucifer's proficiency and laid-back style. For her, every note was still hard work. Where she owned the dance floor, he owned the black and white ivories.

When Lucifer started playing 'The Unforgiven', Sem got up to let her moves do the talking, mixing ballet and contemporary styles. After Lucifer let go of the last note, they looked at each other in silence for a while. The song was personal to both of them.

'What, is it 6 o'clock already?' Sem heard a beeping noise coming from her bag. 'I should go home and eat something before they expect me at the youth club. 'Lucifer, what are your plans until the party kicks off?'

'The party is under control. We could go out and grab a bite somewhere. I know a few decent places locally.

Lucifer wasn't sure why going out to eat with Sem did not feel more like a date. They had picked a casual Italian place, low key, but where the food was great. It was a few blocks from Lux.

By the time the waitress brought the dessert menu, Sem wanted to decline. She didn't eat many sweet things, but in Lucifer's presence it was hard not to indulge. She felt wonderfully relaxed.

Sem was so much in the habit of blocking incoming memories from strangers, that she normally never fully relaxed, but in Lucifer's presence she did. That should have immediately resulted in a bombardment of the waitress' and restaurant guests' memories, but nothing happened.

Sem started to freak out. She had presumed there was something special about Lux, but it seemed Lucifer caused the block on her abilities. She looked puzzled.

'Sem, are you alright. What's going on?'

'Why are you different? What are you? This hasn't happened before. I can't read you.'

'What do you mean, read me? I'm the Devil, not a book!'

'The Devil, sure. Anyway, whatever you are, something is different about you … and it scares me. I'm sorry, I have got to go. I can't explain. Not now.' Sem got up and tried to get to the door as quickly as possible.

'I don't understand. Will I see you again?'

Sem stood still in the door opening. 'I'm not sure. I'm sorry.'

Sem slowly walked away from the restaurant, deliberately letting in the minds of strangers. Anywhere within 50 meters of where Lucifer was, nothing came in. There was only silence. Sem was relieved when finally she was far enough away to pick up the memories of a local shop owner and she had to start actively blocking again. She made it to the youth club an hour early. She helped with setting up the stage. Her neighbour and friend Gloria was unpacking some refreshments. Sem had never read her memories, or the ones of most people she knew. It felt impolite to do so without good reason. Yet the idea that she could not read Lucifer at all and that she couldn't read anyone near him, freaked her out. She felt guilty about the way she had left him. He did not deserve that. Dinner had been perfectly pleasant until her little discovery. She wished she could talk to someone about this, but no one even knew about her gift.

When she was twelve years old, the man who raised her figured out that she knew things she shouldn't be able to know. He had warned her to always keep it a secret. Potentially she was the perfect spy and governments would happily try to use and abuse her to gather information. Sem had no desire to be a spy. She loved to dance and make music and help the kids in the neighbourhood. This gift was more of a curse and largely wasted on her.

Sem tried to enjoy the rap contest, but that wasn't easy, considering how she had left things with Lucifer.

Lucifer was stunned. He had no clue what had just happened. He quickly paid the bill and went back to Lux. Sem did not seem to believe he was the Devil, yet she had suddenly become scared of him. Out of nowhere. He remembered Chloe's first reaction to his Devil face. He hadn't even realised his face was back in that moment. He touched his own face, as if to check it was normal now. The scruff of his beard was still there. Like everybody else, Sem ignored anything he said about being the Devil. So what had spooked her?

Should he leave her alone and hope that she would come back? He could try to call her. No, that wasn't going to work if he really wanted to know why she feared him. Did he want to know, though? He had scared plenty of people by just being himself. He missed being able to talk to Chloe. In the end she had understood him better than anyone. She had even helped him control his Devil side. Forgiving yourself was a lot easier when the woman you loved hadn't been killed in your absence and a new friend hadn't just been scared of you.

Sem hadn't slept well. She had gone through her morning exercise routine with half the energy she normally gave. The kids at the youth centre had inspired her and she had used some of their favourite hip hop music as her work out theme for the day, but distraction was not going to solve the conundrum named Lucifer. Keeping so much of herself a secret from pretty much everybody had always seemed like a good idea but having no one to talk to sucked. She considered talking to Gloria. She had been a good friend from the moment she moved into the building. How would she take the mindreading? Not good. She would freak out and Sem wasn't sure she would keep it to herself either. In her mind she went through a list of her friends. She had a few good friends, but none she thought she could share this with. Throwing something against the wall was tempting. Instead she cut up a few veggies for lunch with exceptional vigour.

The doorbell rang. Sem wasn't expecting anyone, but within seconds she knew. She tried to let the memories come in. Nothing. Lucifer was at the door. She smiled. Turned out she had her own kind of spider-sense when it came to Lucifer's presence. Weird.

'So you called in a favour to get my address. Come in.'

'Are you sure? I didn't mean to scare you.' He did not deny the comment about the favour.

'You didn't do anything. I owe you an apology. Running out like that wasn't very nice of me. Would you like some tea? I don't have alcohol in the house, so the options are limited to tea, juice and water.'

Lucifer pulled a face as if he was disgusted. That was enough to make both of them smile. Sem made tea anyway. Her mind was racing at a thousand miles an hour. How much could she tell him?

'I was worried about you. I usually only scare people who are in serious need of punishment. Do I still scare you?

'No. I don't think so. It is just… there is something different about you. Can I ask you something?'

'Sure.'

'Your wicked charm and your ability to draw out people's desire, have you ever encountered anyone who was immune to your gifts?'

Lucifer went pale. 'How do you know that the detective was immune to my charm?', he said with anger.

'Whoah, I am sorry. I know nothing about her. Please listen, I did not intend to upset you.' Sem took a deep breath and Lucifer calmed down again.

'I have a strange ability myself. A gift, if you like...and it doesn't work near you. You seem to be immune.

Lucifer's anger was replaced by curiosity. 'Alright, you don't happen to have wings too by any chance?'

'Wings? Like an angel? No, of course not. You really are obsessed with angels and demons. You do realise how crazy that sounds, right?'

Sem looked at Lucifer. He wasn't making fun of her.

'Can I trust you, I am asking seriously. I have never told anyone about this and my gift can actually be pretty scary. I have never met anyone who can do the same.'

'We are friends. You can trust me', Lucifer said solemnly.

'Okay, then. I see the memories from people around me. A bit like the things they say you see when you think you're going to die. Your life's memories, played out like a film. Except I see the memories of all the people around me. I must block it out to not go crazy. Imagine a room full of TVs on different channels with the volume on loud. I learned from a young age to focus a certain way to block any memories coming from others. The less I know about people the easier this is. With friends it requires more effort. I suppose because I am interested in them. Crowds can be tough too when I am tired. The blocking is second nature to me, but that doesn't mean it doesn't require effort. It saps energy. That is why I don't drink and make sure I get my sleep. I can't afford losing control. I like my sanity.'

'I don't often deliberately let in memories. It feels wrong, like spying. I only use it with some of the teenagers at the youth centre. Sometimes they ask me for advice, but they rarely tell me the whole truth of what's going on in their lives, so having a bit of background helps. It can backfire though, when I find out secrets that I cannot share because it would expose me. I have had to let people get away with serious crimes a few times, because I had no way of exposing them without exposing myself as the source of the information. I prefer to block. It is politer and saves me from moral dilemmas.

'I can't read you or anyone near you. You're different and I have no idea why. It does mean I can completely relax around you. It took me a while to figure this out because I never relax. Never. It is very nice to be normal for a change. I am normal when I am near you.

Lucifer didn't know what to say. He could show her he was the actual Devil, but he was relieved she wasn't scared of him, no need to change that right now. Sem could probably not read him because he was a celestial being, not human. He couldn't very well tell her that either.

He was curious if she was immune to him like Chloe had been. At first she hadn't seem immune, but she did not respond to him the way most women did.

'My charm does not seem to work on you, either. I thought it did, but now I'm not sure.'

Sem got angry. 'I just told you my biggest secret and you immediately want to talk about you again! Thanks very much for listening.' She didn't do sarcasm very well, but all she wanted was to know he wouldn't betray her. 'Your charm works just fine on me. I just choose to ignore it, because I like our conversations. Or liked at least. You can leave now. I'm fine.'

She wasn't fine at all. She was close to crying.

Lucifer saw she was upset. 'I won't tell anyone, I give you my word. Are you sure you don't want to spy on a few nasty politicians, for the good of the world?'

'Thank you, Luci. You can be such an ass sometimes. I appreciate that you came over. I can only hope you are not going to be an awful stalker, now that you know where I live.'

They both relaxed and sat down on the sofa.

'Did you not even tell Jarod and doesn't Jake know?'

Sem shook her head. 'Jake can't handle truth of any kind. He lives in a fantasy world. Plus, he can't keep his mouth shut.'

'And Jarod? I thought you would have at least told him.'

'I tried. I asked him how he would feel if there were real telepaths out there. He said he could never trust such a person. He wanted a world without secrets. A world where some people could be better informed than others scared him. So, I kept my secret. And no, the irony is not lost on me. I don't really consider myself a telepath. I only see past experiences, not what someone is thinking in the moment.

'Handy, though.'

'Maybe. Anytime I have deliberately looked at someone's memories it has felt like a total betrayal of trust and you have no idea about the crap I have accidentally learnt about random people that I really didn't want to know. From love affairs, crimes, to weird fetishes. The worst part is that it costs me so much energy. It gives me headaches when my head is full of other people's stuff. I would trade places with a normal person like you anytime.'

Lucifer nearly choked. 'Normal, like me? You have no idea.' More softly he added 'and I don't think you want to know'.

Sem hadn't noticed the shift in his mood. 'I suppose I will have to get to know you the old-fashioned way. You will have to explain your obsession with the Devil some time, but that can wait. I think we can keep ourselves entertained talking music for at least a few years before I become curious about all your secrets.'

Lucifer wasn't sure how he felt. Part of him wanted to scream the truth at her, show his face and flap some wings, but he barely knew her and she brought light to his life where there had only been darkness for the past few months.

13


	3. Friendship, love and knowing the Devil

**Friendship, love and knowing the Devil**

Sem was incredibly relieved Lucifer had responded so well.

'I have tickets for the opera Don Giovanni next Wednesday. I know a few people in the company and they regularly give me tickets. Would you like to come, Luci?

They were back at the foundation of their friendship; music. Lucifer did come to the opera with Sem and she became a regular visitor at Lux. In each other's company they forgot about their grief just long enough to keep coming back for more. Sem deliberately kept some distance to keep their relationship platonic and to her surprise, Lucifer didn't push. She regularly encountered half naked women and men in the penthouse if she showed up unannounced and she knew she would never join them. Lucifer didn't need her for that.

She wasn't sure what their relationship was, but over time they got pretty close. Lucifer brought energy and humor to everything he did. Sem soaked it up like sunshine. Lucifer liked how Sem did not take bullshit from anyone, including himself. She reminded him of the good in the world and every time he made her laugh his world looked a little brighter. Occasionally they even talked about Chloe and Jarod and that got easier too.

Sem did not go to Lux after her toughest day since meeting Lucifer. She had provided support to a 16-year-old pregnant girl at the youth centre for the past few months. Chantelle had no support from the baby's father and her mother struggled to look after Chantelle's four younger siblings. Sem had done everything to help her prepare for motherhood. This morning's news that labour had started nearly three months early had triggered Sem's most difficult memories. She forced herself to go to the hospital to be there for Chantelle, but she could barely cope as Chantelle's labour resembled her own far too much. By 8 pm Chantelle's little girl was still born. The baby's heartbeat had faded in the same way Adam's heartbeat had faded.

Sem left when Chantelle's mother and aunt were there for her. Outside the hospital she vomited and cried. When she finally came home she curled up in bed like a ball.

The next morning, she tried to imagine what Adam would have looked like now. He would have been nearly three years old. She imagined hugging him, tickling him and hearing him laugh. She imagined her apartment full of toy cars and dinosaurs. She even imagined Jarod, herself and Adam on the beach, building sand castles as a family. A perfect family. She cried some more.

She had not visited Adam's grave since the funeral. It had been too painful. She had buried herself in work instead, making music videos with Jake and spending more time at the youth centre. Things had slowly become easier after she met Lucifer.

She decided it was time she faced her grief head on. She wanted to visit Adam's grave.

She called Lucifer to check if he was home. She didn't normally do that, but she wasn't sure how he would respond to her request. He was not the sentimental type.

An hour later she arrived at the penthouse and told him what happened with Chantelle.

'Luci, I never went back to visit Adam's grave after the funeral. I would like to go, but not alone. Will you come with me, please?'

'What is it you are hoping to find, Sem? You do know that the only thing there is his decaying little body. His soul went straight up to heaven. Dad makes sure the innocent are well looked after. At least He gets that right. I can't imagine a more depressing place than a cemetery, unless you're a worm or a bug, in which case you can enjoy many a gluttonous party there.'

'I knew you would say this and you are largely right. I know Adam isn't really there. That's not the point. When I am at home or working or even with you, my mind is occupied by other things. Remembering Jarod and Adam hurts so much that I don't allow myself to go there, not emotionally any way. What happened to Chantelle brought out so much pain, it nearly crushed me. I couldn't breathe. I want to remember everything and focus on the good bits. Otherwise every thought of my baby is pure pain, and he deserves to be more than that. I deserve more than that. Don't you find yourself struggling to remember all the good times you spent with the detective, just because losing her hurts too much?'

Lucifer nodded.

'You both deserve better. You should remember her better. I want to remember Adam better. I can't do that in my regular environment. I would like to go to the cemetery on a nice sunny day and spend some time remembering Adam and Jarod properly. Will you come with me, please? I am not sure I can face this alone.'

'You'll be fine, I am sure. You don't need me, but I'll come if you want me to. Just remember to bring your own tissues, will you? If you start crying on my shoulder I will send you the dry-cleaning bill for my suit.'

Lucifer's eyes did not match the careless remark about her crying. Sem knew Lucifer's shoulder would be exactly where she would need it to be. Even if she would cover his suit in tears and mascara.

'I can't stay today. Jake and I are working on some adjustments to choreographies for his upcoming tour. I will only be dancing in two concerts and we need to simplify a few things.

Gloria asked if she could borrow my car tomorrow. Will you please pick me up to go to the cemetery?'

During the session with Jake Sem felt very distracted, to the point where Jake asked what was going on between her and Lucifer. Sem didn't answer the question, but in her heart, she knew something had changed. The casual friendship between her and Lucifer had slowly led her to trust in a way she had never trusted before. He saw all of who she was. With him she was unapologetically herself and he made her laugh and not take herself too seriously. Jake was talking to her, but she didn't hear him. Sem had always ignored the physical attraction between herself and Lucifer because she wanted his friendship more. What to do, now that she wanted it all? When had things changed? She wasn't sure. She had liked him from day one. Sem wasn't sure when she had started caring so much. It felt like she always had. Sem tried to focus on the dance steps. Jake looked annoyed when she fell out of a turn half a beat early. She would never have asked anyone else to come to the cemetery with her. She could only ask someone who knew her inside out, someone she trusted with her life and heart, someone she loved. She found herself in love with her friend. One Hell of a friend, who called himself the Devil.

Sem apologised to Jake and made sure they got some work done. On her way home, she cried. She wanted to talk to Gloria about her feelings. Gloria always wanted her to find herself a man. However, talking about Lucifer with her very religious neighbour, wasn't really an option. She would never understand. Gloria knew the rumours about Lucifer and she knew about their friendship, she just didn't approve. She thought Lucifer was dangerous, or at the very least a bad influence.

Sem understood some of Gloria's concerns. He did call himself the Devil and people came to Lux sometimes for favours. Sem had never spotted anything illegal going on, but she had also not paid very close attention. Interestingly enough, Lucifer would get quite upset if people presumed he was evil. Sem had told him that it might help if he didn't announce to the world he was the Devil, but it would only annoy him when she didn't take him seriously. He said Chloe had been like that. Sem had tried to ask him more about her, but Lucifer would only occasionally talk about her and would always avoid memories that made him sad.

Sem knew she was no match for a dead woman. She loved Lucifer. She didn't know how he felt about her. All she knew was that Chloe had been his first and only love and that he slept with pretty much anything with a pulse. Their friendship was clearly important to Lucifer. For Sem it had turned into something more, but what about his feelings? Could she tell him without risking their friendship? Maybe after their visit to the cemetery, she would muster up the courage. She had never kept secrets from Lucifer. She wasn't going to start now.

Lucifer checked his reflection in the mirror of the corvette. Sem had seen him on some of his off days, so he wasn't sure why it mattered to him how she saw him. Why did he agree to go to a cemetery? Stupid place to visit, but Sem's argument made some sense. Anyway, it was a beautiful Summer's day and he had nothing better to do. Maybe it would help Sem bury the past.

She jumped in the car with more energy than usual. She had taken flowers with her to put on the grave. Sem was nervous. She looked at Lucifer's profile while he was driving. Normally his presence relaxed her, but confronting her own feelings, the pain of losing Jarod and Adam and her new feelings for Lucifer was going to be tough. She had prepared herself for a rollercoaster of a day and Lucifer's driving was already making her nauseous.

'Are you okay? You look a bit pale.'

'I am fine, just nervous. What's your excuse for being so quiet?' Lucifer hadn't said much after she had given him the address of the cemetery. Normally he would have already made her laugh five times by now. Sem was relieved when they got there.

It was a reasonably big cemetery and it took Sem a moment to remember where Adam's grave was. Lucifer silently walked by her side until they had found it. The grave looked a bit dilapidated. Many of the graves around them had fresh flowers. Sem felt guilty she had not done so for Adam. She put her flowers on the stone and plucked a few weeds. Then she sat down on the ground in front of the grave.

'I'm going to sit here for a while. Feel free to go back to the car. I won't be long.'

'Take your time. I will walk for a bit.' Lucifer sounded serious, almost solemn. Very unlike himself. Sem didn't notice.

Sem watched Lucifer walk away towards the West side of the cemetery. She brushed off a small piece of moss and picked it up as if it was something precious. The moss and a few weeds had grown on Adam's grave since the funeral nearly 3 years ago. She had neglected her son as a bad mother. She cried. She had no idea what kind of mother she would have been. Her time with Jarod had been short. She tried to imagine him as a father. She could almost see them running in the grass around her. She wasn't sure Jarod would have been much of a family man. He had no siblings and was always terribly grown up. Children would have interfered with his lifestyle. But maybe he would have adjusted just fine. She had not been ready for motherhood herself, but Adam had brought out a deep love and protectiveness she hadn't known she was capable of. If only she had had the chance to give that love. She cried some more. She cried for the infant she had only been able to hold for a few minutes; she cried for the mother she never got to be; for Jarod, Adam's father, who had been ripped away without ever knowing about his son. For a while she let in all that pain and let it crush her, as heavy as the gravestone. Then she took a deep breath, put back the moss in the precise spot she had found it and got up. She was glad she came, but she also knew she would not go back. New life was growing, some moss, a small weed, on top of her son's grave. She would let it. It was okay.

Sem looked around for Lucifer. He was some distance away, standing still, facing away from her. Was he visiting a grave? Sem walked in his direction. When she was around 50 yards away from him her world changed.

Memories came flooding in. Faster than usual and more real than ever. Partnership, friendship, love, the face of the Devil, fear, love, sacrifice, the swoosh of beautiful white wings. She saw Lucifer standing right in front of her, with his monstrous, burning red face. Sem felt Chloe's fear, confusion and her love. So many memories and emotions. She couldn't process it. Sem collapsed and fell on her knees. She gasped for air, than gagged. The image of the Devil's face etched in her memory. Her head was pounding. Sem tried to shake off the images and emotions as she usually did with unwanted memories, but she was completely overwhelmed and knew there was no going back from this. Lucifer was the Devil.

Lucifer heard a scream and turned around. He saw Sem on her knees between graves. Something was wrong. He ran to help her.

'Sem, what is happening? Are you alright?' She wasn't looking alright. She was breathing fast, still on her knees.

'Look at me, Sem! What's going on? Are you seeing memories? I don't see anyone else here.'

Then it dawned on him. 'Are you seeing my memories?' He was panicking now. That would be way too much to handle for a human mind.

Sem slowly sat up. She wasn't sure she could face him. She forced herself to look at him.

'Not yours. Hers.' Sem pointed in the direction where he had just been standing.

Like Sem, Lucifer had never visited Chloe's grave before, but he knew where she was buried. Sem had not told him which cemetery they were going to and he had not asked. Stupid coincidence? The shock and fear on her face were devastatingly clear. She knew he was the Devil.

'Since when do you see memories of dead people, Sem? Lucifer's mind was racing.

'I don't. Some bloody miracle this is.' Sem's voice was barely there. She was still on her knees.

'Are you another pawn in Dad's grand plan?' Lucifer shouted. He looked up to the sky. 'Leave me alone, Dad.'

Sem got up. She was shaking. 'I need to go home. Take me home, please.'

Lucifer was desperate for her to talk to him, but it was clear she could barely look at him.

He offered to support her as she was still shaking, but she wouldn't let him touch her. They silently walked back to the car. During the drive back, the silence was deafening. When Lucifer dropped off Sem, she didn't say goodbye. She just got out of the car as quickly as possible. She even forgot the picture of Jarod she had wanted to put on Adam's grave. Lucifer wanted to call after her. He picked up the picture, then dropped it. He looked at his finger. It was bleeding from a small papercut made by the photograph. Lucifer felt numb, defeated. No amount of whisky could make this better. Sem might never talk to him again. After everything that had happened with Chloe, he was still poison to the ones he cared about. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Sem, but as the Devil, causing pain was his job description.

On a few occasions since his first return to hell, Lucifer had gone back to Hell for short stays to make sure the demons still obeyed him. He hated the place, but Sem had shown him once again where he belonged. He opened his wings, not even caring that they were the monstrous ones and flew back to Hell. He had no plan to either stay or come back. He was simply desperate to get away from how he was feeling.

Sem took a long, hot shower. The images from Chloe's memories kept filling her mind. Whenever she closed her eyes, Lucifer's Devil face was there. Sem knew Chloe's memories of Lucifer were much, much more than that, but Chloe's fear in that moment when she first saw his face was palpable and Sem could not breath through it. She cancelled her meetings with Jake for the next few days. For two days she wandered through the apartment like a zombie. She barely slept or ate. When she finally slept, she dreamt Chloe's life as if it were her own.

On the third day Sem could finally separate her own experiences from Chloe's. She no longer feared Lucifer. She had been an atheist all her life. She had more confidence in Chloe's memories of loving him than in any religious story. What freaked Sem out more than anything was God and the fact that Lucifer was actually an angel, albeit a fallen one.

To clear her head, she went for a drive. She had rented a cabin in the mountains a few times before and she decided to go in that direction. Getting closer to nature might help her come to grips with her new understanding of the universe. After driving for most of the day she took some of the smaller roads in search of town with a diner. She stopped in a small town. As Sem parked her car in front of the diner, she noticed the building on the opposite side of the street; a beautiful little church. The sign on the lawn said: 'God loves you'. Sem smiled wryly. She still had no idea how to move forward with her new-found knowledge. She could not exactly call it faith. Maybe a prayer in a house of God would do the trick.

The door was open. Sem hesitated. The church felt like someone else's house, a little alien. The sign said welcome, but that is not how she felt. To Sem a church felt like a members-only club and she wasn't a member. It was cool inside and there was a pleasant smell of burning candles. She sat down at a pew at the back and closed her eyes for a while. The prayer wouldn't come.

A priest walked past her and lit a few candles. Sem looked up. 'Excuse me, please?'

'Yes, my child. What can I do for you?'

'Do you have a little time? I could use some expert advice about God.'

'I don't know about expert, but I choose to devote my life to God. How can I help?'

Sem wasn't sure where to start.

'Until a few days ago I was an atheist. I was perfectly okay with my life and soul ending with my last breath. I have always focussed on making this life count, because I simply believed that was all there was.

'What has changed?' the priest asked.

'A miracle of sorts', Sem said, 'Although I am not sure yet how it is going to make anyone's life better.' She hesitated. 'How do you know what God wants from you?

'You think this miracle is a message? What do you think He wants from you?'

'The miracle showed me an insight that changes my core beliefs. It also showed me a rather disturbing truth about a friend I care about very much. Without God, any misery in the world was just that for me, misery. Now, I have these huge questions and if I have learnt anything from my friend, it is that God is not very forthcoming with answers.'

Sem paused a moment and stared at the ever-moving flame of one of the candles.

'A long time ago, God punished my friend in a way that is hard to move on from. He probably deserved to be punished, but I am not sure he will ever be able to move on or find forgiveness. Maybe God has forgiven him, who knows. My friend has changed. He has saved lives, made sacrifices, been an amazing friend, but he does not forgive or forget easily. The miracle puts me in a difficult position. It seems I have become a pawn in God's plan and my friend hates nothing more than being manipulated. I am not sure what God wants me to do, but I cannot ignore what I have learnt.

'What makes you think He wants you to do anything? Maybe He just wants you to see your friend in a different light.'

That had been on Sem's mind since the start of her trip. What was she going to do?

She smiled. 'What if I told you that the Devil is not evil? Does that put things in a different light for you? I am sorry for bothering you, Father. I am ready to go home. I will let God sort out His own mess, but I need to tell my friend how I feel.' Sem pretty much ran out of the church, leaving the priest confused.

After a quick bite to eat at the diner, Sem called Lucifer's number. His phone was turned off. Where could he be? Then she remembered a few times when Lucifer had gone away on business trips. Were those trips to Hell, when she had not been able to reach him? He had been miserable every time he had come back from one of those trips, needing a few days before his more affable side would surface again. He could be mercurial anyway, but after those trips it was always worse.

What if he didn't come back this time? Realising how Chloe had first responded to Lucifer's Devil face, Sem knew she had hurt him terribly. During her drive home Sem tried to think of ways she could show Lucifer that she accepted him, if she ever got the chance.

Jake had tried to call her several times over the last few days and Sem knew she would have to apologise to him sooner or later. There was still a lot of work to do in preparation for the concerts. It was hard to move her focus away from Lucifer, but there was not much she could do if he was not there. Jake was pretty angry, especially as Sem did not want to talk about the last few days. Sem adapted the last moves to the ability of the dancers on tour and talked to Jake about what they would do in the two LA concerts. The show was timed to the second, but there were several songs where they kept a few bars to improvise. Jake needed Sem too much to stay mad long, so they soon fell back into their familiar work rhythm. At the final rehearsals Sem heard one of the backing vocalists hum one of Jake's older songs. Sem had heard it before, but now it sang to Sem. The song had the perfect words to let Lucifer know that she had not abandoned him.

'Jake, I need a huge favour. Can we please perform 'It's okay, I'm still here' in the LA concerts?' The song had never been a single. It was too gentle, without enough of a hook for radio, but it was a great mantra for acceptance. 'I would like to dance to patch things up with Lucifer.'

'So, you guys did have a falling out. I thought he might have something to do with your cancelling on me without notice and your crappy mood in general. You have worked your ass off for the last few days, but you have not been much fun to be around. Do you really think that this is the right song? I didn't intend that song as a love song, you know.' Jake waited a moment before he added: 'You are in love with him, aren't you?'

Sem nodded. There was no point in denying it now.

Jake suddenly turned out to be the friend she didn't know he could be; 'What do you need from me? Sem explained that she wanted Jake to play an acoustic version of the song on piano while she danced to it.

'Jake, I am not even sure he will see it. I can't reach him. Are you sure you are willing to do this? You will need to practise the song and it is going to mess with the timings of the rest of the playlist.'

'Sem, you have always encouraged me to make music in a more organic way and look where I am right now. I was on my way down before you propelled my career into the stratosphere. We both know we can do this and I owe you one.

7


	4. Showtime

**Showtime**

Lucifer had not stayed in Hell long. He still hated it enough to go back to his Hell on Earth rather than stay down there. Sem had called many times, but she had not left a message.

Yesterday had been the first of the LA concerts performed in with Jake. Lucifer wanted to pretend he didn't care, especially as he hated the onstage chemistry between Sem and Jake, but YouTube made it too easy to peek. There were loads of uploads of the concert already, but a few jumped out. 'Mystery Girl, Devil or Angel' said one of the titles. It already had a few thousand views and it was uploaded only hours ago. Lucifer hit the play button. He still felt very hurt with how Sem had refused to look at him after her discovery. Was she now making fun of him? Within seconds he knew what she was doing. He did not know the song, but the message was loud and clear;

'I'm not the Angel people see.

They always think they know me,

Like I thought I knew you.

I've learnt my lesson,

I see your truth now.

I'm not going anywhere

It's okay. I'm still here.'

Jake's singing was great, but it was Sem's dancing that blew him away. She was wearing a costume showing her as half demon, half angel. Her dance was powerful and delicate at the same time. For the first half she danced purely on the piano. Then she jumped off and seemed to fly. At the end the crowd's noise soared.

Lucifer had underestimated her.

He tried calling her, but he got no answer. Like her, he did not really want to leave a message.

Tonight was the second LA concert. Lucifer decided he would be patient.

Lucifer enjoyed the atmosphere at Lux. There was a good crowd and everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves. Sem had invited him to the concerts months ago. Now he felt bad for turning down the invitation. He knew it was a big deal to her. She never went on tour with Jake, so these were their only big, live performances. He really should have been there, but he hated seeing her on stage with Jake. Not many people knew how fake their onscreen relationship was and Lucifer found it disturbing how hot they looked together. After seeing the video of that one song, he knew he should not have let that bother him. He picked up his whisky glass. The cut on his finger was gone. He checked by rubbing his fingers together, knowing he wouldn't get any answers until they would have a chance to talk.

A few people in Lux were grouping together, looking at their phones and having agitated conversations. Lucifer went to check out what was going on. He heard the words 'Jake Bond' and 'shot' and blindly yanked a phone from someone's hand. Live footage from the stadium showed Sem, sat down on the stage, with Jake's head in her lap. He wasn't moving.

Lucifer ran upstairs and turned on the TV, to get a better view on CNN. She looked so scared. You could only see her eyes through her mask, but he could still see her every emotion.

Commentary stated that Jake had been shot by a sniper. The stadium had been sealed off until the shooter was apprehended. They showed various footage of the stadium. Many people had their phones out at concerts nowadays. News channels had plenty to choose from, including live feeds.

Emergency personnel got Sem to let go of Jake. She got up. She was trembling. Something wasn't right. Lucifer watched her drop to the floor as if in slow motion. The commentator said something about 'traumatic experience for all'. Suddenly he realised the trouble Sem was in. There were 30.000 panicked people in that stadium and Sem was no longer in control of her own mind. She could no longer block their memories. Doctors would not be able to help her. They would be clueless to her predicament. She needed to get out of there fast.

Lucifer took one more look at the TV screen. He took a deep breath in, then took out his wings. They weren't looking great, but they would have to do.

Seconds later he walked out on the stage and swooped up Sem in his arms. When they left the stage there were people everywhere. He was looking for a safe place to spread his wings to fly her out of there. Shit. There was nowhere to go. People were shouting at him, telling him to put Sem down. He was relieved when he saw the little stairs leading to the area below the stage. He rushed there but the space was very tight. He had no choice. He stretched his wings and flew her to the penthouse. He felt a sharp pain on take-off, but ignored it. Nothing mattered until Sem was safe.

He gently put her down on his bed. She looked so fragile. Not strong at all now. Lucifer bent over to remove her mask and wig. There was nothing he could do for her but wait. Hopefully his presence would block out the rest of the world and she would soon be okay. He considered praying. Nope, she would have to come out it on her own. She had been an atheist after all. Her expectations of his Dad were lower than his. Good on her.

'Luci?'

'You're awake.'

'You saved me.'

'I suppose. If I had let them take you to the hospital, I would at best have a vegetable for a friend now. The idea of scraping drool of your face is not very appealing.' The light-hearted comment did not conceal the weight of what had happened.

Sem sat up and looked at Lucifer properly. He had draped a sheet over his shoulders, but it was clear what he was hiding under the sheet. He looked tired and worried. He moved a few inches to give Sem more room and groaned.

'You're hurt.' Sem stated it matter of factly. She reached over to remove the sheet. Lucifer grabbed her wrist before she could do so.

'Don't, please'.

Such déjà vu. Chloe's memory was usually not far away when he was with Sem, but this was ridiculous.

'It's okay, I just want to see if I can fix your wings.' Lucifer looked at her with suspicion before releasing her hand. He forgot how much she knew. She gently removed the sheet. Sem was surprised to see monstrous bat wings. She had expected to see his beautiful white wings but losing Chloe had clearly made him feel like a monster again. Sem wanted to tell him that he was not a monster, but Lucifer had already clocked her initial response.

'Shouldn't you be a little more shocked or something. You are taking this rather well.' Not too well, was all Sem could think. She now focussed on his facial expression instead of the wings. She had not expected him to be so vulnerable, ever. He was insecure, scared even. Her heart skipped a beat.

'The bloody things won't go back in. They are not made for flying in small spaces. I would have cut them off, I have done it before, but where is a good knife when you need one. Maze took all her blades with her.

Sem had a closer look and saw that one of the wings was broken.

'Will they heal if you manage to fold them?

'Probably, but don't bother. You can hack them off now. I am sure there is a sharp enough knife in the kitchen somewhere.'

Sem was shocked. How could he still hate his wings?

'Those wings saved me. You saved me, Luci.' She did not take her eyes off his. He looked at her angrily, but he felt his face muscles relax almost immediately. She was always so bloody reasonable. Sem wasn't fazed by angry Lucifer. She just hoped he would listen to her. She had too much to say to him.

'Here, enjoy some more of your whisky', she said as she handed him the bottle on the bedside table. 'This will hurt.' Sem did not wait for Lucifer's approval. She got up and sat down behind him. She slowly but firmly pulled on the broken wing to put it back in the correct position. Lucifer didn't flinch. He responded like a wounded wild animal that somehow knew that the pain was caused with good intentions. He reminded her of a wild animal sometimes. Charismatic, elusive, sometimes aggressive, always on guard.

As she repositioned the broken bone, Sem tried to find the courage to share her feelings.

'Fold them slowly now.' Lucifer did what Sem said and folded his wings as she made sure the broken bone stayed in position. Nearly folded Sem let go and suddenly the wings were gone. She put her face against Lucifer's back as if to check the wings were really gone and she wrapped her arms around him. She hugged him tightly.

'When I asked you to visit the cemetery with me, to visit my baby boy's grave, I had an epiphany. I could never have gone alone. I needed someone there, someone I trust with my life, with my heart. You are my best friend, who knows me better than I know myself sometimes. You have seen all sides of me and never wavered. Most people only want to see one side of me, but you truly see me, all of me. With you I feel at ease in a way I haven't known before. With you I can be vulnerable without giving away any of my strength. Before you even said yes to the cemetery visit I knew I would never have asked anyone else.'

'I love you, Luci.'

There, she said it. She sighed.

Lucifer pulled away from her and turned to face her. 'What, you think you can tame the monster? Fold the horrid wings away and back to normal we are?'

Sem hated the sarcasm in his voice as he said the word 'monster'. He had perfected sarcasm to an art. Most of the time Sem thought it was part of his charm. She had not realised it could hurt this much.

'I am sorry for not believing you. I now know you never lied to me.

'You are just another way for dear old Dad to manipulate me.'

'Probably. Showing me Chloe's memories wasn't very subtle of Him. It is not like I read dead people's memories every day. But you know what? I still make my own decisions, at least I think I do. If you think you freaked me out, well, yes, you did, but you are the Devil I know. You did not freak me out half as much as suddenly knowing, not just believing, no, knowing that God exists. I was happy being an atheist. I had no need for the Lord. Heaven, Hell, God? I am only human, Luci. How was I supposed to know?' She took a deep breath. She tried to read his expression, but he wasn't giving much away.

Sem's anger at his Dad was not what Lucifer expected.

'So now I know what you are. It doesn't matter, Luci. I already knew you. I know you… I love you. I just needed a little time to process the celestial stuff. I think I have been in love with you all along. It was just easier to pretend we were just friends. You don't need taming or fixing. You were never broken. You could use some love, though.'

For a moment Lucifer's expression relaxed, then it turned darker again.

'Love? You may love the Devil, but who is to say the Devil can love anyone, let alone you?' He spoke softly, but his tone was menacing.

Tears welled up in Sem's eyes. 'Like you pretended for so long not to love Chloe? You don't need to say it, Luci. Your actions speak louder than words. The broken wing, do you wish to explain, or shall I? I suppose your being vulnerable near me is only a symptom.

'Until this morning I wasn't sure how you felt about me, but you saved me with a broken wing, with no concern for your own wellbeing. What were you planning to do about the wings had I not woken up? You can't very well go out with bat wings, can you? You waited and watched over me. You had no idea how long I'd be out for. You couldn't even be sure you made the right decision by not taking me to the hospital. You did the best you could and never left my side. Do you really want to lie to me and say you don't love me?

Sem got up and took a step back from him. What if love was not enough?

Sem's logic hit him hard. He had ignored the papercut, but Lucifer knew she was right. He would not have used his wings for anyone else. He loved her.

She knew nothing about loving him. He only hurt people.

'You can't love me. You just think you can. You think you have seen all of me?'

'Go ahead, love this, Sem'.

Sem was taken aback by the anger in his voice, but then his face changed. Eyes like fire. His whole face looked like it was burning. Sem was scared. Definitely scared, but also defiant. This angry Devil was the man she had just confessed her love to. She was not backing down now.

She looked straight back into Lucifer's fiery eyes, grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him. Sem kissed him the way she had always wanted to kiss him. Fighting fire with fire, she kissed him passionately. At first she was just kissing him, but soon the kiss was reciprocated.

When their lips finally let go, Lucifer's Devil face was gone and they looked into each other's eyes.

'This is real, isn't it?'

'Very real.' Sem wanted to say more, but she suddenly felt faint. Lucifer caught her and carried her back to the bed.

Lucifer heard her stomach rumbling. 'Sem, I think you need food more than rest. One of my famous omelets, maybe?' Lucifer planted a kiss on Sem's lips.

'I could use a shower too.' Sem looked at her clothes. She was still wearing her costume from the concert. There was blood on one of the sleeves. For a moment she was right back at the moment Jake had been shot.

'Are you sure you shouldn't lie down, Sem? You are very pale.'

'I am not sure of much, except us. It feels wrong to be any kind of happy, while I have just lost my friend. Jake ... He welcomed me into his world of music. And now, just gone.'

Lucifer wasn't sure what to say. This was no time for jokes. 'Take that shower, I will take care of breakfast.'

A few minutes later Sem walked into the kitchen wearing one of Lucifer's shirts and a towel around her head. Lucifer nearly dropped the plate. She had no idea how stunning and sexy she looked. Sem sat down at the breakfast bar and Lucifer put down the plates. They ate in silence, both clearly hungry, but they kept looking at each other, well aware that between them things were different now. When they finished eating Sem got up, unwrapped the towel and let her damp hair drop over her shoulders. She walked over to the piano, caressed a few keys, not pressing them deep enough to make a sound. Lucifer understood Sem's silence. Any music was more than she could bare right now. He took her hand. A few drops of water had dripped on her arm. With one finger Lucifer caught one of the drops on her arm, gently caressing Sem's skin. They stood in silence, soaking up this moment of anticipation, breathing heavily. For all the thousands of Lucifer's sexual encounters, this was new. He did not want to break the spell.

Sem knew she wanted him, her Luci, and now, finally, nothing stood between them. His caress sent shivers down her spine. She slowly unbuttoned his shirt she was wearing, never leaving his gaze. That's where Lucifer's patience ended. He lifted her in his arms and carried her back to the bed. Sem let her hands roam over every part of his beautiful body, as his lips founds her breasts. Their first love making was slow and thorough, exploring each other with all their senses. Lucifer's kisses left Sem breathless, panting for more. Lucifer caressed every part of Sem's lean muscular body and he wondered how it had taken them two years to get here. He was home. As they came, again and again, they found each other, body and soul.

Eventually they were too tired and satisfied and they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Sem woke up disoriented. Everything she saw was white. Had she died and gone to Heaven? Wherever she was, it smelled wonderfully, like Lucifer, but better. She opened her eyes properly and looked around. She raised her hand and gently touched the white stuff around her. Lucifer moved in his sleep and suddenly the white stuff was gone. Sem smiled. Lucifer was still asleep. She sat up in the bed and watched her sleeping angel. It did not take long for Lucifer to notice Sem was no longer in his arms. He woke up and saw Sem looking at him. He noticed she was holding something in her hand, a big white feather.

'Where did you get that?' Lucifer was angry and confused. 'Which of my siblings gave you that, Sem? Is this another of my Father's games?

Sem had expected Lucifer to be happy, but instead he shouted at her.

'You don't know?' Sem was shocked. How could he not know. 'You really don't know?'

'Show me your wings, Luci.'

'What? Why would I bring out those monstrous things again. What's going on?'

'Luci, you are not a monster. This is yours.' She held out the feather, but he looked at her in anger and disbelief.

'When I woke up I thought I had died and gone to Heaven. I was cocooned in a cloud of fluffy white feathers.' Sem laughed. 'Your wings, Luci. You must have wrapped your wings around me in your sleep.'

Lucifer still looked at her confused. 'My wings?'

'Yes, Luci. Your beautiful, white angel wings; They smell heavenly by the way.'

'Really? How can that be?' He got up and felt his back. Nothing there.

'Do you trust me?'

Lucifer nodded.

'Show them, please?

He closed his eyes and spread his wings. The swooshing sound was all he needed to hear.

Sem laughed and cried at the same time. Her Devil stood before her as the most beautiful angel. Lucifer laughed too now and Sem hugged him long and hard.

'I guess you have left your guilty feelings over Chloe's death far enough behind you, for there to be room something more positive.

'Oh, you are so much more than something positive. I love you, Sem Johnsson'.

Sem woke up in the middle of the night. She kept replaying the concert in her head; the dance moves with Jake, the moment he sank into her arms, blood everywhere. What was her dream trying to tell her? She played the scene as a film in her head and suddenly she knew. The moves right before the sniper shot were improvised. The shooter could not have known these moves. Based on where they would have been using the normal moves, Jake was not the target, she was.

6


End file.
